


It's Gonna be a While

by fangirlingbooknerd



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: F/M, Fluff, M/M, Maybe a little OOC, before cdth bc i like it when everyone is happy, they get a little tipsy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22132213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlingbooknerd/pseuds/fangirlingbooknerd
Summary: The gang has one last goodbye party before everything changes. They know it's gonna be a while before they're back here, back together as a group. It's a goodbye, but not an ending.
Relationships: Henry Cheng/Blue Sargent, Henry Cheng/Richard Gansey III/Blue Sargent, Richard Gansey III/Blue Sargent, Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Kudos: 21





	It's Gonna be a While

“Fuck off, dude, I don’t think you can call me the weirdest when Sargent’s dad is literally a TREE.” Ronan and Gansey had been having this debate for at least twenty minutes now. Both of them were a little—maybe more than a little—tipsy on the weird beer-like drink that Ronan dreamed up. The whole group, sans Adam, was in the same not-drunk-but-not-sober state.

At this comment, Blue looked up from where she was braiding Adam’s hair. Henry, who was braiding Blue’s hair, gave her a look that she didn’t notice. Turning to Ronan she said, “yeah maybe my dad’s a tree… and what about it? Is it THAT unheard of?”  
  


Henry and Gansey burst out laughing. Adam cracked a fond smile towards her. Ronan simply replied, “yeah bro, it really fucking is.”

To drown him out, Blue turned up the music, smiling when she heard the song. “Since when do you guys have good taste in music?”

“It’s my playlist, duh,” Henry said, putting on a drawl. “Little lady, may I have this dance? It would be a true honor.” Blue nodded and pretended to fan her face when he asked. She let him help her to her feet, immediately getting twirled by Henry as he found the beat of the song. Together they screamed, “from the city of the 915, where all the girls are pretty and down for the hype!”

Adam looked at Ronan; Ronan pointedly did not look back. Sighing, Adam turned to Gansey, faint smile on his face. “Little lady, may I have this dance? It would be a true honor.” Pretending to be Blue, he repeated the actions she had done just seconds prior, maybe adding a bit of an even more dramatic flair just to annoy both Ronan and Blue. Adam tried to smoothly copy the twirl that Henry did to Blue, but just resulted in the two boys almost toppling over.

Ronan watched as both Adam and Gansey stared at Henry and Blue, trying to match their movements and failing dramatically. He sighed, rubbing his face. _Cheng and Blue aren’t even good_ , he thought, _they’re just confidently switching between jumping up and down and twirling each other_. Despite his grumbling, not even he can resist the chorus. He sings, “We don’t always say what we mean, it’s the lie of the American teen.” He reflects on this song. Ronan wouldn’t call himself a liar; Ronan never lies. But… he has sometimes kept things a secret. _Is not telling the full truth the same as lie? Am I just as bad as everyone else? No, no, these secrets were to protect myself and the rest of group. Crashing the Camaro, everything with Kavinsky, Adam, Adam, Adam_. He looks up to see Adam now slow dancing with Gansey, watching him from over Gansey’s shoulder.

As Ronan was having his breakdown, Adam was having one of his own. The second verse of “American Teen” was always his favorite, but tonight it feels more real than ever. “Maybe the end is near, but I've been waiting all year to get the hell up out of here…” he trails off, stopping to just let the reality of what’s happening wash over him. In about a week, he’ll be in Massachusetts. He knows that Henry, Gansey, and Blue have postponed their trip just for him, wanting to spend every minute with him that they can. He’s worked his entire life to get out of this town, to make a name for himself, to become better than his parents ever were. But now he’s here, and it’s scary.

Gansey must see his fears written in his eyes because he turns to Adam. “Where’d you go? Why do you look sad? You should know, I have made it my personal mission to make sure you are not sad tonight, and I don’t like to fail.”

“This is it, Gansey. This is the last time we’re gonna be in the same room for who knows how long? I did it, I got a full ride to fucking HARVARD! But now what? Now I just up and leave this town? Leave YOU?”

“Hey, you will never get rid of me. If you think that Henry isn’t gonna constantly be texting you pictures of our adventures you’re wrong. If you think Blue isn’t gonna call you at least once a week, you’re wrong. If you think I won’t steal the phone everytime, you’re wrong.”

“But you won’t text me or send me pictures?”

“Adam, don’t be dull. We both know that I don’t know how to send pictures.” The two laugh, knowing it’s true.

“Gansey… thank you, for everything. For being my friend, for taking me under your wing and helping me network and for the Hondayota and for the—”

Gansey claps him on the shoulder, freezes, realizing what he’s just done. But Adam doesn’t flinch or look startled; he’ll maybe never fully recover from what his father did to him, but he has learned to trust again. Gansey pushes on, “you were never a charity case, Adam. I was happy to do all of it. You’re my best friend. Everyone in this room is my best friend. I love all of them so much and I’m gonna miss you and Ronan so much but we’re gonna make this work, okay?”

Adam nods and lets Gansey hug him. They start to sway, turning their hug into an awkward slow dance, Adam staring at Ronan over Gansey’s shoulder.

Sighing, Ronan gets up. Tapping Gansey, he asks, “do you mind if I cut in?” Giggling, Gansey steps away and let’s Ronan take his place dancing with Adam. Gansey turns back to Henry and Blue, who immediately let him into their dance party.

“Should I be worried about you leaving me for Gansey?”

“Oh yeah, because Blue would EVER let me have him,” Adam jokes back. Ronan just pulls Adam tighter, aware that this is one of their last moments together before everything changes.

The energy in the room is completely melancholy as the final chorus comes around. It’s Blue’s favorite part of the song, just a group of people singing, clapping their hands, no instruments at all. It sounds like a good group of friends, a group of people genuinely having a good time. She looks around the room, the living room of Monmouth Manufacturing. It’s gonna be a while before she sees it again. She looks at Adam and Ronan, lost in each other, knowing their goodbye is coming soon. Above her, she sees Gansey and Henry singing to each other over Blue’s head. She leans into Henry more, embracing being smushed between the two. Even though they’re all traveling together, she knows better than to not revel in the happy moments.

“American Teen” ends and the next song starts, something fast and upbeat, but no one moves. It’s as if they’re under a spell, lost in the world of each other—just the way it should be.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! the song that i talk about is "american teen" by khalid.


End file.
